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I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at the University of Minnesota Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) Kick Off. I shared what it means to be Democratic Socialist and discussed the ongoing work that the Ward 2 office is leading on in collaboration with students such as getting a municipal grocery store in Dinkytown and advocating for University leadership to remove all Flock cameras from campus.
I look forward to working with these brilliant and inspiring students to advance these things and so much more.
CM Wonsley at the YDSA kickoff
I spoke at a fantastic panel called Fight Back Against Data Centers. My fellow panelists included Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, an environmental lawyer from the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, and community organizers who have resisted data centers in their communities. We had a robust conversation about what residents and community leaders can do to resist big tech’s attempts to take precious land, energy, and water in our city. Thank you to Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America for hosting this important conversation. It’s clear that data centers don’t have any place in our city. It’s also clear that shutting residents out of the process is unacceptable. There should never be Zoning By Right for data centers.
Council Member Wonsley speaking at the Fight Back Against Data Centers Panel.
Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is proposing to close Pratt Community School and the deadline to comment is October 16th. Prospect Park Association is hosting a Board and Community meeting at 7pm on Monday, September 28th in the community room of Prospect Park United Methodist Church to discuss this proposed closure and the impacts on the Prospect Park community.
Prospect Park Association meeting for Pratt Elementary
Monday September 28 at 7pm
Prospect Park United Methodist Church (22 SE Orlin Ave)
MPS listening/public comment session schedule
All the MPS listening sessions will be held 6pm-7:30pm at the following location and dates:
- Camden High School: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
- Washburn High School: Thursday, October 1, 2026
- Edison High School: Friday, October 2, 2026
- South High School: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
- North High School: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
- Southwest High School: Thursday, October 8, 2026
- Roosevelt High School: Friday, October 9, 2026
Digital Survey: If you cannot make it to a physical location, the district has opened a digital feedback portal through ThoughtExchange that will accept submissions until October 16, 2026. You can access the survey directly on the Minneapolis Public Schools Transformation Page
The Vote Timeline: District staff will compile and present the initial public feedback to the school board on October 20, 2026.
The rise of mass surveillance goes far beyond Flock cameras and drones. Come hear from local experts about the ever-increasing use of surveillance technologies, the impacts on our communities, and how we can organize to push back to protect our rights and our neighbors.
The panel will be facilitated by Saint Paul Council Member HwaJeong Kim, and the panelists are Minneapolis Council Member Robin Wonsley, Professor Jessica West from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Matthew Guariglia from Electronic Frontier Foundation, State Representative Athena Hollins, John Boehler from ACLU Minnesota, and Anna Madison from Women Against Military Madness.
Technofascism: community panel on the rise of mass surveillance and AI in the Twin Cities
Monday October 19th from 6-7:30
Capitol Watershed District Building (595 Aldine St, Saint Paul MN 55104)
Technofascism community panel flyer.
Looking to reduce waste at a business, nonprofit organization, or reuse retailer? Business waste prevention grants are available for projects that focus on reuse and repair, replacing disposables with reusables, preventing wasted food, and conducting research and development to prevent waste.
Applications are due by Wednesday, September 30. Grant flyer with overview of the grant program.
In August 2026 the county awarded 10 Business Waste Prevention grants totaling $182,143. Grant projects will take place in five cities.
The grants will:
- Help businesses reduce waste by giving them money to buy reusable items such as dishes, cups, and cleanroom gear instead of using disposable ones.
- Support creative reuse projects that turn trash into useful products, such as recycled plastic or salvaged goods for resale.
- Teach people useful skills such as sewing and mending, so they can fix things instead of throwing them away.
- Make eco-friendly upgrades such as fixing water systems or collecting pottery waste, so businesses can be more sustainable.
Apply for a grant for bins and compostable bags
Hennepin County has free resources and technical assistance for small businesses and nonprofit organizations to start or improve recycling and organics recycling. Applicants may select up to $3,000 worth of containers and compostable bags from the county's product list. Grant details and application instructions.
The Como Cookout has always been about more than just the cookout—it has been about bringing neighbors together and celebrating everything that makes the Como neighborhood special.
This year, a change in University funding has limited our ability to continue providing the complimentary food that has traditionally been available past Cookouts. Rather than scale back the event, we saw an opportunity to broaden it. EXPLORE COMO! A Neighborhood Celebration better reflects what the event has become: a celebration of the neighborhood, its residents, families, community organizations, and businesses.
While the name is changing, the heart of the event remains the same. EXPLORE COMO! is still about gathering together, connecting with one another, and celebrating the fantastic Como neighborhood we call home.
Explore Como!
September 26, 2026
11am - 2pm
Van Cleve Park (901 15th Avenue SE)
Flyer for Explore Como!
Join local artisans, makers, growers, educators, small businesses, nonprofits, contractors, and community organizations sharing their talents, knowledge, and passion for sustainable living.
At the heart of this festival is a simple vision: share generously, celebrate the creativity and resilience of our community, and care deeply for one another and our planet. We would be delighted to have you join us in making this festival a place where curiosity blossoms, collaboration flourishes, and everyone leaves inspired.
North Star Sustainable Living Festival
October 10th, 2026
9am-6pm
University Lutheran House of Hope (601 13th Ave SE)
Save Oct. 21 for the free 2026 South Minneapolis Seniors Fair! The fair is tailored for our senior community members and caregivers. The day will feature workshops, an elected officials panel, a resource fair, and a free lunch. The workshops will cover the City Budget, Election and Voter Services, public safety and crime prevention, and connecting with the community.
South Minneapolis Seniors Fair
Wednesday, Oct. 21
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Diamond Lake Lutheran Church (5760 Portland Ave. S)
Flyer for South Minneapolis Seniors Fair 2026
Summary: Share your testimony in support of Workers Drive Minneapolis, a policy to protect 10,000 rideshare drivers from losing their jobs to autonomous robotaxis owned by big tech companies like Google, Tesla and Amazon.
Background: Big tech companies like Tesla, Google and Amazon are beginning to operate driverless robotaxis in cities across the country. Without regulations, commercial automated vehicles (AVs) may create significant safety risks, disrupt traffic, hinder the City’s transportation and sustainability goals, and displace thousands of workers.
To proactively protect residents and workers, I am authoring an ordinance called Workers Drive Minneapolis along with Council Vice President Osman and Council Members Chavez and Chowdhury. Workers Drive Minneapolis will protect over 10,000 rideshare drivers– mostly workers of color and immigrant workers– who support themselves and their families by driving rideshare. You can read the legislation along with a public memo outlining the policy.
Labor and community groups supporting the ordinance include the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005, Minnesota Uber Lyft Drivers Association, Our Streets, Service Employees International Union Local Local 26, and Teamsters Joint Council 32.
Without Workers Drive Minneapolis, residents and workers have no protections from the potential impacts of driverless cars. We’re watching in real time as the federal government fails to pass basic regulations on AI to prevent potential disasters. Minneapolis has an opportunity to be different: step up with commonsense, basic protections to ensure new technology doesn’t create more harm than good. This is about putting our community’s safety and local jobs above the profit motives of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
This week, the Business, Housing and Zoning Committee held the first of two public hearings on the ordinance. Dozens of drivers spoke, including one who raised the point that if thousands of drivers lose their jobs to AVs, taxpayers will foot the bill in the form of increased reliance on public assistance. Riders and members of the public also spoke about why they want to see the City stand up to big tech, rather than rolling out the red carpet to potentially dangerous technology. I urge residents to testify at the final public hearing this Tuesday so that Mayor Frey and City Council Members hear why this issue matters to you.
Workers Drive Minneapolis- Public Hearing
September 29th at 1:30pm
Committee of the Whole
City Hall - 350 South 5th Street, Third Floor
Written public testimony can also be submitted any time via email to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov. For the email subject line, write “Workers Drive Minneapolis.”
Key votes: The City Council will hold the final public hearing on Workers Drive Minneapolis on September 29th at 1:30, and vote on the ordinance on October 1st.
Summary: Council Members Chavez, Stevenson and I authored a resolution calling on UMPD and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office to terminate use of Flock cameras.
Background: Residents have been clear that Flock cameras and other Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) have no place in our city. These cameras are owned and operated by big tech companies that don’t protect resident data and civil rights. These cameras are part of a growing trend of excessive surveillance and technofascism.
The City of Minneapolis does not own any Flock cameras, but the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office do. Several weeks ago, residents in Cedar Riverside were successful in getting UMPD to take down the Flock camera in their neighborhood and residents across the city deserve the same. My office has received significant calls and emails from residents in my ward who do not want this surveillance in their neighborhoods.
I worked with Council Members Chavez, Stevenson and Vice President Osman on a resolution calling on the University of Minnesota and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to remove all Flock cameras across the city. The resolution was approved this week in the Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee.
Key votes: Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee approved the Flock resolution. Council Members Chavez, Stevenson, Vetaw and I voted in support, Council Member Rainville voted against, and Council Member Whiting and President Payne were absent. The full City Council will consider the resolution on October 1st.
Summary: I invited the Zero Burn Coalition to give a presentation to the Climate & Infrastructure Committee on the HERC and Zero Waste.
Background: In 2024, the City adopted a resolution supporting the closure of the Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center (HERC) by the end of 2027. In 2025, the City Council passed a Legislative Directive requesting an update on the Frey administration’s progress implementing the Zero Waste programming. City and Hennepin County staff presented a response to the City Council which reiterated that the biggest hurdle for citywide zero waste efforts is the City’s lack of sustainable funding for programs that reduce waste from commercial and multiunit housing, and lack of information and authority over non-residential waste disposal.
The Zero Burn Coalition is a group of residents who are partnering with zero waste experts, urban planners, and community members to envision what comes after the HERC trash burner closes. The coalition's advocacy has resulted from commitments from Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis in reducing waste and supporting efforts to close the HERC as an incinerator.
I invited the Zero Burn Coalition to present community perspectives on the HERC and Zero Waste to the the Climate & Infrastructure Committee. Thank you to the Zero Burn Coalition and all residents organizing for clean air and climate justice in Minneapolis!
Key votes: No votes taken.
Summary: The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee discussed a potential contract with Community Bridges, a new organization to run the City’s extremely successful BCR program. Due to unanswered questions, the contract was held in committee.
Background: Minneapolis Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) is a first response program for mental health or behavioral crises. Residents can call 911 and request BCR for themselves, a loved one, or someone they see in public who appears to need emergency mental health services. If there is not an immediate threat of violence, BCR is deployed without police. If there is a situation that includes a threat of violence but would still benefit from mental health professionals, BCR and MPD can respond together.
The data from BCR has been consistently excellent. The Department of Justice uplifted it as one of the best things Minneapolis is doing in public safety and a huge opportunity to restore the broken trust and credibility created by decades of systemic racism in our police department. MPD themselves agree that BCR helps reduce the burden on police to respond to mental health situations they are not trained for.
In light of the overwhelming success of BCR, I and several of my colleagues were surprised to learn that the Frey administration is now proposing fundamentally changing it. The administration is proposing changing BCR to "Mobile Crisis Response” and expanding the scope to include a variety of livability issues like unsheltered homelessness rather than just focusing on mental health crises. The administration did an RFP for a new vendor to administer this expanded scope, and selected a company based in Arizona called Community Bridges Inc. This would be a significant change both in scope of services and in providers, since BRC has been operated since its inception by a local company called Canopy Roots.
The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee discussed this proposed new contract. There were many questions about the proposed switch that the Frey administration could not satisfactorily answer. How do we prevent a gap in services between the contracts? Will an out-of-state group have the hyperlocal knowledge and cultural competencies to serve Minneapolis? How will the expanded scope relate to the City’s partnerships with the County for social services? How does this relate to the City’s Homeless Response Team, which is a separate funded division?
I am extremely concerned that expanding the scope of BCR is a form of mission creep, and will result in more services being rendered more poorly rather than focusing on one thing and doing it well. The current BCR model is successful, and we could continue operating it without major changes while we focus on the elements of our public safety and core services that are not currently successful.
I also share my colleagues’ opinion that we should be aiming to bring more services in-house rather than contracting out. I would like to continue a conversation about transition BCR to in-house first responders.
There were enough questions and concerns that the committee voted to hold the contract and continue discussing next meeting.
Key votes: The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee voted to hold the contract in committee and will discuss it at the next meeting on October 7th.
Summary: MPD is asking to spend $14,000 to send nine members of senior leadership to a weeklong conference in Orlando. The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee discussed several concerns with this proposal and forwarded it without recommendation.
Background: MPD submitted a request to accept a gift of $16,000 from the Minneapolis Police Foundation. The gift was offered to cover the cost for one officer, Inspector Kelly, to receive a national award related to the Annunciation response.
While it’s fairly common for outside organizations to cover the costs for City staff to attend conferences, MPD proposed pairing this gift with $13,922 dollars of taxpayer money in order to send nine people to the event. They stated that the other eight people were going “in support of Inspector Kelly.”
The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee had many questions and objections to this specific proposal. There are not any concerns with accepting a gift for an officer to receive an award, but several Council Members expressed strong opposition to spending unnecessary tax dollars sending officers to conferences at a time when MPD is going tens of millions of dollars over budget and is one of the single largest forces driving up property taxes.
There were also significant safety and operational concerns about having nine leaders in MPD out of town for an entire week.
The committee asked MPD to bring back a revised proposal that would not spend any taxpayer money on the travel, and reduce the number of MPD leaders who would be out of town at one time.
Key votes: The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee forwarded the item without recommendation. The City Council could consider a revised gift acceptance at the Committee of the Whole on September 29th.
Contact Ward 2
Visit: minneapolismn.gov/ward2
Email: robin.wonsley@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612-673-2202
City Hall
350 S. Fifth St., Room 370
Minneapolis, MN 55415
For reasonable accommodations or alternative format please contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. Para ayuda, llame al 311. Rau kev pab, hu 311. Hadii aad caawimaad u baahantahay, wac 311. |
